The International Day 2023 at the TUMCS was a resounding success. Students showcased their homeland and culture with food, drink, dance, music, and enthusiasm. Students were proud to present their culture at over 30 colorful booths that were decorated with love and detail. The event gave students the opportunity to not only learn about their fellow students’ origins but to gain valuable information about opportunities to study or work abroad. Students had the chance to ask individual questions directly to both other students about their home and corresponding cultural aspects in addition to being informed about options to study or do research abroad while being enrolled at TUM.

Informational sessions also included the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). Where students could both ask questions and gain valuable information about working in Germany after their studies and information about further educational offers for residents of Germany. The Foreigners Office (Ausländeramt) Straubing gave an excellent overview of how to get working and job-searching visas for TUMCS graduates and further bolstered the relationship between our campus and this city office. The Student Union (Studierendenwerk) Niederbayern-Oberpfalz provided information on their support offers for students, including social and psychological counseling and renters’ rights. The TUMCS Sprachcafé held a session for students. Further, students currently earning a joint degree with BUKO for Biomass Technology had an informational pre-departure session about their upcoming semester in Vienna.

We are looking forward to the TUMCS International Day 2024. To make the wait a bit easier, check out the links to some of the recipes from the fabulous food served at this year’s event. You can also watch some of the videos of the dancing to help you keep you in good spirits.

Please contact international@cs.tum.de for all questions about the TUMCS International Day.

Food from around the world (partially with recipes)

Pão de Queijo - Brazilian Cheese Balls

Recipe – Todo Gostoso

Tips
  • The tapioca flour/starch you are looking for is ‘polvilho doce’ (sweet tapioca). If you google for it: one of the most common brands is Yoki.
  • Adjust the amount and type of cheese to individual taste.
  • There are ready mixes available as well, which make whisking up a batch of Brazilian Cheese Balls even easier.

Banitsa – Bulgarian Cheese Pie

Recipe - Tara's Multicultural Table

Tikvenik – Bulgarian Pumpkin Pastry

Recipe - Pandemonium Noshery

Tarator – Bulgarian Cold Cucumber Soup

Recipe – Klopotenko

Crispy Yuca Fries

Recipe – The Spruce Eats

Serve with sauces, vegetables and pickles.

Kuih Seri Muka

Kuih Seri Muka, Puteri Salat, Kue Talam Ketan Pandan Recipes - YouTube

Tip: Pandan leaves can be found in the Asian store (fresh and/or frozen).

Cucur Jagung

Recipe - YouTube

Tip: To make the recipe vegan, just skip the anchovies.

Tip: When using canned corn, make sure the kernels are well drained and dried.

Dahi Bhalla

As a reference have a look at this recipe, but make sure you read through the notes below. It might look a lot to read and keep in mind, but the results are worth it!

Authentic North Indian Recipe – vegrecipesofindia.com

Notes
  • Soak the dal: I know! Who remembers to soak? But this can’t be skipped. Soak for 8 hours at least, but not more than 24 or it’ll start fermenting. Soaking really does contribute to softer bhallas because they’ll just blend better.
  • Make the Bhalla batter: This may be the only tricky part about making Dahi Bhallas. Mainly, you need to add just the right amount of water. Initially, I’d see many recipes that would caution against adding any extra water, which ended up giving me dry, tough bhallas. Then I started watering the dang things, and I was left with doughy, uncooked centers. That’s why I’ve given you a max and min range. Constraints are healthy.
  • Whisk the batter: Many recipes suggest whisking the batter for a good 8-10 minutes. I didn’t find this step necessary. As long as you get some (vigorous!) aeration in, the batter will be light and spongy.
  • Test: I saw this first on the legendary Veg Recipes of India’s Dahi Bhalla recipe. To test to see if the batter is aerated enough, drop a bit of batter in a bowl of water. If it floats, that means it’s aerated enough.
  • Fry the bhallas: Fry the bhallas over medium heat so they don’t brown too quickly and have enough time to cook from the inside.
  • Soak the bhallas: Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate before immediately transferring to the water bath. I haven’t found that the temperature of the water matters here, but I usually go for lukewarm. You’ll know they’ve soaked long enough when the color gets lighter and they’ve lost their firmness.
  • Remove water: Squeeze each bhalla between the hollows of your hands to drain the water out. Then transfer to your serving platter.
  • Prepare yogurt: This part is completely adaptable. Adjust to taste if you want the yogurt plain, sweeter, tangier, or spicier. I’ve used base/minimum amounts.
  • Assemble. Pour the yogurt over the bhallas (or drop the bhallas in the yogurt), making sure the bhallas are appropriately doused. Before serving, top with chutneys and sprinkle with chaat masala and red chili powder.
Dahi Bhalla Toppings
  • Essentials: Imli ki Chutney, Green Chutney, Chaat Masala, Red Chili Powder or Paprika.
  • Papri: These are round, crispy, fried disks that you can find at Indian/Pakistani grocery stores.
  • Sev: Also available at Desi grocery stores, these are small pieces of crunchy noodles often made from chickpea flour.
  • Pomegranate Arils: I haven’t tried this myself but when is pomegranate a bad idea?
  • Onion, Boiled Potatoes, & Chickpeas: For dahi bhalla chaat vibes.

Sweet potato balls with brown sugar syrup

Tea eggs

Southern Style Sweet Tea

Making sweet tea concentrate: Pour 4 cups of boiling water over 4 cups of sugar in a pot. Add 20 bags of black tea or equivalent amount of tea leaves and cover. Let it steep for 15 minutes. Gently squeeze out the tea bags and discard. Cool.

Preparing the sweet tea: Combine one part concentrate with four parts water and serve with plenty of ice.

Tips:
  • Use black tea blends specifically intended for iced tea. Alternatively, English breakfast tea and other similarly strong black teas work too.
  • Add some lemon zest to the concentrate when steeping.
  • Add some lemon juice after steeping and/or when serving.
  • To avoid the tea to become cloudy and/or bitter, add a pinch of baking soda to the concentrate after steeping.
  • The concentrate can be stored in the fridge up to two weeks.

Chocolate Chip (Chunk) Cookies

Ingredients
  • 2 ¼ cups (= 281 g) of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (= 2 sticks = 226 g) of butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (= 151 g) of granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (= 165 g) of packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups (= 340 g) of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
  • Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
  • Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
  • Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
  • Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
  • Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Tips
  • If you want a salted caramel taste then add chunky salt from a salt grinder to your batter.
  • You can find packed brown sugar at larger DM stores near the cane sugar.
  • Instead of chocolate chips you can also break up your favorite chocolate bar into chunks for chocolate chunk cookies.